Weedless fishhook



July 26, 1949.

K. R. LARSON WEEDLES S FI SHHOOK Filed Nov. 17, 1945 INVENTOR Zhr/ 7114/50 ATTORNEY having the eye Patented July 26, 1949 anti TNT OFFICE WEEDLESS FISHHOOK Karl R. Larson,

Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to The Paul Bunyan Bait Company, Minneapolis,

Minn,

a corporation of Minnesota Application November 17, 1945, Serial No. 629,304 6 Claims. ((31. 43-4243) My present invention relates to improvements in Weedless fishhooks.

The object of this invention is to provide means on a spoon to releasably hold a fishhook, attached to the spoon, at its point and thereby hold the spoon to function as a closure for the space between the point of the fishhook and its shank, biting action on the spoon and fishhook releas ing the fishhook from the holding means.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my Weedless fishhook;

Fig. 2 is a top elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the tongue removed from the spoon, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the tongue shown in Fig. 3, with a portion thereof broken away.

The numeral 6 indicates a spoon having a hole I in its inner end portion for a fish-line, not shown, to be attached to the spoon. An apertured lug 8 is secured to the spoon 6, on its convex side, relatively close to the hole I at the transverse center of said spoon.

A fishhook 9 is attached to the spoon t by ID in its shank II interlocked with the apertured lug 8. This connection between the spoon 6 and the fishhook 9 permits said fish hook to be placed longitudinally of the spoon I3 with its point I2 turned toward said spoon and at the outer end thereof. The shank II is outwardly bowed.

A tongue [3 is hinged to the spoon IE, on its concave side, for swinging movement in a plane that extends longitudinally of said spoon and perpendicular thereto. The hinge for the tongue I3 includes a plate It secured to the spoon by rivets l5, at its transverse center. This plate I4 has a pair of upstanding lugs I between which the tongue I3 extends and is connected thereto by a pivot pin H.

The outer end portion I8 of the tongue It extends inwardly at right angles to the body of said tongue and has in its outer face a shallow concave seat I9 for the point l2 of the fishhook. When in an operative position, the tongue it rests on the outer end portion of the spoon Ii, as a stop, and its point I2 extends across the outer end of the spoon 6 close thereto. It is important to note that when the tongue I 3 is resting on the spoon 6, as a stop, its seat I 9 is inwardly of a dead center relative to the pivot pin II.

To place the point I2 01 the fishhook in its seat It, it is necessary to slightly straighten the shank I I by springing the same. When the point I 2 is in the seat I9, the bowed shank I! is held under just enough tension to yieldingly hold the point I2 on the seat I9 and prevent relative movement of the spoon 6 and the fishhook 9. This tension, due to the fact that the seat I9 is inwardly of a dead center, also yleldingly holds the tongue I 3 against the spoon 6.

From the above description, it is evident that when the fishhook 9 is held by its point I2 in the seat I9, the spoon 6 and the tongue I3 act as a closure for the space between the point I2 of the fishhook 9 and the shank II. It will thus be seen that the fishhook 9 may be thrown among weeds and lily-pads and trolled without catching thereon or on any other obstruction.

When a fish bites the fishhook 9 and the spoon Ii, the opposing pressure thereon will swing the tongue it away from the spoon 9 and carry its seat I9 and the engaged point l2 outwardly of dead center and thereby release said point from the seat I9 where the same will become active in the fishs mouth.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the Weedless fishhook described is capable of certain modifications as to details of construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A spoon, a fishhook having its shank attached to the spoon with its hook turned toward the spoon, and a member mounted on the spoon for movement toward and from the fishhook and having a seat for the point of the hook from which it is released by opposing inward pressure on the spoon and shank of the fishhook.

2. A spoon, a fishhook having its shank attached to the spoon, and a tongue pivoted to the opposite side of the spoon from the fishhook, the outer end of the tongue affording a seat for the point of the fishhook.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the shank of the fishhook is outwardly bowed from the spoon.

i. A spoon, a fishhook having its shank attached to one side of the spoon, and a tongue hinged to the opposite side of the spoon from the fishhook and resting on the spoon and having a seat for the point of the flshhhok that normally is in a line connecting the point of the fishhook and the hinge of the tongue, and Which line is below the point of rest of the tongue on the spoon, the point of said fishhook and the tongue being adapted to move away from the spoon and carry said seat outwardly of said point of rest when opposing, inwardly directed, pressures are applied to the spoon and hook respectively, thereby releasing the fishhook.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 in which movement of the tongue to position the seat be low the point of rest of the tongue places the fishhook having its point in the seat under tension. 7 1V 6. A spoon, a fishhook having its shank attached to one side of the spoon and a tongue hinged to the opposite side of the spoonirom the fishhook, the outer portion'of the tongue being turned inwardly and extending over the outer end of the spoon and having a seat for the point '4 of the fishhook that normally is in a line connecting the point of the fishhook and the hinge of the tongue, and which line is below the point of rest of the tongue on the spoon, the point of the fishhook and the tongue being adapted to move away from the spoon and carry said seat outwardly of said point of rest when opposing, inwardly directed, pressures are applied to the spoon and hook respectively, thereby releasing the fishhook.

KARL R. LARSON.

Name Date Number r V Harlow Feb. 28, 1888 

